It's been a year since Russia banned Italian parmesan, French brie and many other imported foods in response to Western sanctions. So naturally, the time is now ripe to celebrate.

Peter Kovalev / Reuters

A fly sits on cheese, part of illegally imported food falling under restrictions in the territory of Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 6, 2015.

So Russian President Vladimir Putin is throwing a massive fondue party of sorts. His decree to destroy illegal imports at the border took effect Thursday. And everyone knows the best way to get rid of cheese is to BURN it.

Peter Kovalev / Reuters

An employee throws sliced and packed meat into a furnace during the destruction of illegally imported food falling under restrictions at a customs house at Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 6, 2015.

And there's lots of evidence of this, thanks to a "pics or it didn't happen" stipulation in the decree — a measure designed to prevent corrupt officials from pocketing the contraband goodies for themselves.

Peter Kovalev / Reuters

Packs of sliced meat and cheese are placed on the ground as part of a display of illegally imported food falling under restrictions in the territory of Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg, Russia on August 6, 2015.

So, cheese-lovers, brace yourselves. What you're about to see may be very disturbing.

The cheese shown here was discovered in Belgorod region without proper import documents or labels and it's not clear where it was produced, according to this Rossiya 24 report. But officials think it's possible that it came from the European Union, so onto the heap it goes.

No less than 10 tons of cheese met their end beneath bulldozers there.

Behold THE CARNAGE.

Handout / Reuters

A broken head of cheese is seen on the ground as illegally imported food falling under restrictions is destroyed in Belgorod region, Russia, on August 6, 2015.

On Twitter, many Russians questioned the ethics of destroying food, especially given the memory of mass starvation during the Nazi siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in World War II, where Putin himself hails from.

"How on earth can a person who grew up in Leningrad in a family of people who lived through the blockade sign an order to destroy food? Degenerate"